Flight Compensation for London Heathrow Airport Delays and Cancellations

Many passengers are unaware that they may be entitled to compensation if their flight is cancelled or affected by delays at London Heathrow Airport. If the airline was responsible for the delay, passengers could receive up to £520 (€600) in compensation under UK and EU air passenger rights.

Not sure if your flight qualifies? Use our compensation check tool to find out and start your claim.

Most air travellers using London Heathrow Airport (LHR) are protected by European air passenger rights legislation (EU Regulation No. 261/2004). Under EC 261, it doesn’t matter where you’re from — you just need to have departed from an EU airport or flown into one on an EU airline. The regulation also covers the EEA and 'outermost regions', such as the Azores, Canary Islands, and Guadeloupe. In the UK, a similar law, known as UK 261, provides equivalent protections.

If the airline was responsible for the delays at London Heathrow Airport, you could be entitled to compensation of up to £520 or €600 per person as Heathrow qualifies as an EU airport.

The law also applies to flights delayed or cancelled in the past — typically, you can claim for flights from up to three years ago.

Are you Protected by EC 261?

If you’ve been left waiting due to delayed flights at London Heathrow Airport, whether you’re entitled to compensation depends on several factors.

Firstly, it depends on whether the delays at London Heathrow Airport are the responsibility of your airline. If the delays are caused by extraordinary circumstances — such as an unexpected incident at the airport or severe weather affecting departures — the airline is not liable for compensation, as these are beyond their control.

It also depends on the length of the delay. To qualify for compensation, it’s the time you finally arrived at your destination that matters. Under both EC 261 and UK 261, you can claim up to £520 if your flight arrived more than 3 hours later than originally scheduled.

To simplify eligibility checks for flight compensation, we’ve created a compensation check tool that tells you how much you’re owed. Alternatively, you can visit our page on flight delay compensation.

When flights are cancelled at London Heathrow Airport, passengers are protected by EC 261. Regardless of the reason for the cancellation, the airline remains responsible for its passengers and must offer either alternative transport or a refund.

Once you’ve arranged alternative travel or a refund, check if you’re entitled to additional compensation. In some cases, passengers could receive up to £520 per person.

If the cancellations were caused by London Heathrow Airport rather than the airline, additional payouts are unlikely. This is due to a clause on extraordinary circumstances, which states airlines are not required to pay compensation for necessary cancellations caused by events beyond their control, such as airport incidents or adverse weather conditions.

The timing of the cancellation is also crucial. Compensation is owed if the airline cancelled your flight less than two weeks before departure and failed to provide a suitable replacement flight.

The regulations regarding flight cancellation compensation are extensive — find out more on our dedicated page.

This table shows you how much compensation you could be owed if your flight is eligible for compensation. To make sure all the surrounding circumstances are fully taken into account, fill in your details in our free compensation check.

Here’s what you should do if you're affected by delays at London Heathrow Airport:

• Collect proof of the delay or flight cancellation (e.g. emails from the airline, photos of the departure board).

• Keep all your travel documents.

• Ask your airline why your flight's been affected.

• Ask the airline to pay for your meals and refreshments.

• Pay attention to what the airline offers you — don't sign anything that would waive your right to compensation.

• Keep all receipts that prove the disruption cost you extra money.